The half-somersault manoeuvre is meant to be self-taught and performed, but, depending on how dizzy, fit and healthy you are, it may be difficult to do. It is an alternative to the Epley manoeuvre, which can also be self-administered. You can read more about the half-somersault maoneuvre here. Alternatively, you can see a vestibular physiotherapist who can help you with the manoeuvres, both teaching you how to do them and performing them for you. You can find a Vestibular Physiotherapist in your area here. Choose “Find a Physio” or “Find a Clinic” and select the “Advanced Search” option. Enter your criteria, including your city. I couldn’t help but notice that you mentioned in your email that you suffer from Ménière’s Disease. Note that these manoeuvres are aimed at positional vertigo, which may occur in Ménière’s disease. Positional vertigo presents as short-lived episodes of spinning dizziness that occur only when you move your head in certain ways. On the other hand, Ménière’s Disease presents with intense spinning (dizziness) episodes, that come on suddenly, often for no apparent reason. These are often accompanied by vomiting and last for hours. The manoeuvres for positional vertigo are not recommended when these longer and more severe episodes occur.

In general, there is nothing in particular that links vestibular exercises to making the crystals dislodge from where they belong, and thereby causing BPPV. Vestibular therapists have people doing a lot of different activities – in general, these are exercises done in an upright position, whereas BPPV is typically brought on by laying the head back. Vestibular exercises done for vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) or for balance do not tend to provoke BPPV. If BPPV is going to happen, it is going to happen – there is really no rhyme nor reason why the crystals tend to slide into a semicircular canal. And if they do, it is fairly easy for a vestibular therapist to correct.

You might feel a bit off balance, dizzy and/or nauseous for a day or two after an Epley manoeuvre, but these symptoms should settle down over time. For the most part, people tolerate the Epley manoeuvre quite well. If the therapist does repeated Epley or other manoeuvres – one, after the other, after the other – and your situation does not improve, it may be that something other than BPPV is causing your dizziness. In that case, following up with your vestibular professional and getting reassessed may help narrow down the cause.

You have expressed the feelings of many people affected by dizziness! It is not always easy to find support in your community; you end up seeing quite a few professionals and they are not always on the same page as to your diagnosis and treatment plan. You may be left with uncertainty about what you can expect in the future. Without getting into too much detail about your diagnosis and treatment (you can read more about BPPV here) you are encouraged to do the following:

1) Get informed (learning more about BPPV is a start) and then clarify with your healthcare professionals what their treatment plan is. Ask as many questions as you need. Read some more if you need to. Here is a list of recommended books.

2) Once you feel you have a direction to follow for treatment, stick with it for a set amount of time. Six weeks is a reasonable time frame. During this time, try your very best to stick with the treatment plan and to stay positive.

3) Use the online resources of our Society and your local sources of support. Since you mentioned that there are no specific dizziness support groups, how about you try your community for balance exercises, for example? You can also look for tai chi classes and classes designed for falls prevention. You will most likely find others dealing with similar issues.

4) At the end of your “trial” with this plan, reassess your symptoms and your goals. You may find that you were on the right track, or you may need to start on number one all over again and try a different treatment plan.

Keep in mind that, even if you need to go back and follow a different course of action, that is okay. It will not be forever. Give yourself again about six weeks time and reassess. Stay in the present moment as much as you can, focusing on what you can effectively do right then and there.

You might have an underlying condition that behaves like BPPV. A second possibility is recurrent BPPV; it can be fixed by a manoeuvre but then comes back. It is also possible that the source of your problem is not in the inner ear, but higher up in your brain. If the sensors in your brain that interpret the information sent by the ear are not working properly, these manoeuvres will be of no use.